Bits and Pieces
by ponchita246
Summary: A/U - Jupiter is constantly chasing after her Princess, convinced her antics will lead to war. Relationships between the Alliance and Terra are strained at best, and she finds herself used as a political pawn to try and stem the outbreak after the Princess and her lover are discovered.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

A young woman sat quietly on a bench in a park full of flowers, dressed simply in a romantic vintage rose-print dress, her soft auburn curls swept into a loose bun. Spring was in full bloom; nature's rebirth all around her. On her lap was a small notebook, full of scribbles and doodles of food. The recipe she was working on was missing something – but even after more than twenty attempts she couldn't put her finger on it. She sighed and stared off into the flowers, her emerald eyes unfocused as she let her mind wander.

For months, something had been needling at the back of her mind, a memory she just couldn't seem to fully form. She knew she'd never fully remember her past life; the bits and pieces she'd cobbled together all centered on the downfall of the Silver Millennium and the death of her princess, which was what she needed to help protect the newly crowned queen in this life. Still, she felt that whatever this memory was, it was important. The longer it took to form the more frustrated she became.

Drops of rain began darkening her bench as thunder rumbled in the distance. She swore under her breath and started to gather her things into her bag before everything was completely soaked. Her connection to the planet was getting stronger every day, and she needed to learn to control it quickly. The more frustrated she became, the stronger the storm.

Suddenly, the rain stopped. "Would you like to share my umbrella until you get where you need to go?" a deep voice asked. The young woman looked up, stunned and surprised. The memory stirred again. The man holding the umbrella was tall and well-muscled. He was also quite handsome, with a strong jaw, deep blue eyes, and long, thick brown hair. "This spring has been unpredictable at best, weather-wise. I've gotten into the habit of taking one with me everywhere," he said with a boyish grin.

The young woman stood to her full height, surprised to find the man towered over her. She pulled her notebook to her chest, her heart pounding into her ears. "T-thank you," she stuttered quietly. Something was happening, she just wasn't sure what. He was so familiar: the cadence of his voice, the way his eyes crinkled when he grinned – she was sure she'd met this man before.

He held out his hand to shake hers, "I'm Nathan Silverthorn."

"Kino Makoto," she replied back, taking his hand in hers to return the handshake.

Lighting crashed as their hands touched.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** May be some changes in the next few days to this - something just doesn't feel right. Also, I'm in love with this Shittenou analysis ( post/40175940772/shitennou-analysis-warning-super-long) so that's going to be leveraged pretty heavily.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Jupiter sat in a clearing along the edge of a quiet stream, resting her arms around her knees. Wild roses grew just outside the shade of the ancient oaks that lined the edge of the clearing, a symphony of pinks, reds and yellows contrasting beautifully against the greens and browns of the forest floor. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her whole body vibrated with the voices of the plants and trees that surrounded her. She listened to their whispers, delighting in the goings-on of the forest. While she would never admit it, least of all to her Princess, she enjoyed this planet and its lush nature.

Every so often, Venus' golden light would interrupt the whispers. Jupiter frowned and pushed it away, her own electric green answering back that it wasn't yet time. Finally, the whispers told of the Terran prince and his general; apparently not the one she'd been expecting.

"Hello, Prince Endymion," she said, not bothering to stand or turn around. "General Nephrite."

The two men stopped in their tracks, stunned. "She must have heard us," Endymion whispered to his companion.

Nephrite shook his head, his brown eyes wide in surprise. "It was Kunzite who was meant to be here today, my Prince."

Grinning to herself, Jupiter rose and turned to face the pair. "Why it is nice to see you too," she said dryly, crossing her arms across her chest.

Nephrite sucked in a breath. The moon princess' guardian stood tall and strong, emerald eyes shining with as much playfulness as annoyance. Her face told another story, hard and severe, framed by wisps of auburn curls that had come out of the long braid that moved with the breeze. Over a dark green tunic, she wore only a simple silver breastplate for armor, fitted to her waist. A longsword was fastened to a leather belt at her hips, reaching just past her knees. Brown breeches and a pair of well-worn leather boots completed the simple clothing.

 _There is more to this Jovian guardian princess than meets the eye,_ Nephrite thought, smiling to himself. _She is not as cold as she seems_.

"Where is Serenity?" Prince Endymion was annoyed, that much was plain to both Jupiter and Nephrite.

Jupiter's eyes narrowed and turned cold at his tone, Nephrite noticed as he watched her. Something about his Prince had obviously made her angry.

"We had an agreement; you and the Princess would not meet without one of we guardians."

Endymion's eyes grew dark. Nephrite could feel his anger; dark clouds started to gather above the three of them as his rage grew. He put his hand on Endymion's shoulder while turning away from Jupiter, whispering, "My Prince, please watch your temper."

Endymion nodded slightly and said, "Serenity came to me on her own. I cannot stop her from sneaking off. That is your job."

 _Would that anyone could_ , Jupiter thought to herself. "If Princess Serenity sneaks off again, you will send her back, or contact one of us, immediately." Endymion sighed and rolled his eyes; Jupiter narrowed hers. "If you do not agree, I will inform Queen Serenity of your dalliance. It is far past time she was made aware as it is."

Endymion flexed his jaw as he considered how the seriousness of Jupiter's threat. After a few moments, he said, "You have my word."

Jupiter closed her eyes and searched for the bond she shared with her fellow guardians. Blazing orange filled her vision as she connected with Venus. _Serenity may follow_ , she thought, willing the message along her own ribbon of electric green.

Serenity appeared in a flash of silver light. Her face erupted into a shining smile at the sight of her beloved; Endymion's face lit up simultaneously, and within moments they had fallen together, wrapped up in each other's arms.

Jupiter nodded to Nephrite and returned to her spot by the stream, laying her sword beside her. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Nephrite had taken a seat next to her.

"May I?" he asked with a boyish grin, his brown eyes sparkling.

Jupiter shrugged, ambivalent. She sat with her long legs stretched out, leaning back on her elbows, face turned up toward the sky, relishing in the warm sunlight against her skin.

They sat in silence for a time, until Nephrite asked, "What is your name?"

Jupiter looked over lazily, "What?'

"Your name, what is it?"

Jupiter turned her face back toward the sky. "You may call me Jupiter."

Nephrite's grin widened, "That means I shall have to come up with another name for you."

Jupiter stayed silent, fighting back a smile of her own, forcing herself to look annoyed instead. She wouldn't encourage him.

Nephrite glanced back at their two charges; the lovers sat upon the soft green grass of the clearing, talking and laughing as though they were the only two people in all the universe. This was Endymion's favorite spot. As children he and the prince would sneak out there to play in the stream. As an adult, this was the place he could always find his brooding prince, lying along the stream bed in the soft grass, staring up at the sky.

"They certainly seem happy."

Jupiter stole a quick glance at the two lovers. _They had best be, for all the people this dalliance will hurt_. Aloud she said, "Perhaps."

Nephrite sighed inwardly. It was proving more difficult than he'd anticipated to learn more about this guardian of Serenity's. He decided he'd shift his tactic. "We used to come here as children, Prince Endymion, the other Shittenou and I. It is a beautiful, quiet place."

"From what little I have seen, Terra seems to be a beautiful planet," Jupiter agreed softly, the tiniest of smiles tugging at the corner of her full lips.

For a moment, Nephrite could think of nothing more than kissing those lips. Frustrated, he shook his head to clear it. _I am acting like Jadeite_ , he thought sullenly. The woman next to him was the most beautiful and strong woman he'd ever met, of that he had no doubt, but he had always prided himself on having more restraint than the youngest of Endymion's Shittenou, a blonde youth from the European Kingdom of Seriyuu. Still, the people of the Silver Alliance had always fascinated him, most of all the Jovian.

"I have always dreamt of seeing your planet, Jupiter," he confessed, nervously running a hand through his long wavy locks. "What is it like there?"

Jupiter sat up and drew her legs close to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees and looked the general square in eyes. Something about him seemed warm, almost familiar. She smiled in spite of herself. "Beautiful. There are trees and flowers of all colors as far as the eye can see. The air has the sweet smell of rain, and life. And when it storms…" she trailed off for a moment, "the lightning electrifies the sky, dancing through the clouds. The thunder is sometimes so violent the whole planet seems to vibrate and shake as it crashes."

Her smile had turned into a wide grin as she spoke, lighting up her face in the most beautiful way, Nephrite decided. Her happiness was infectious, and before long his grin was as wide as hers.

"Actually," she said quietly, "this place reminds me a bit of home."

"It sounds lovely." To Nephrite's chagrin he actually seemed to care about this conversation for more than his original purpose of finding out information that could be used to his Prince's advantage.

Forgetting herself for only a moment, Jupiter pointed to a small red flower bush that had just started to bloom. "What are those?"

Nephrite chuckled to himself. Perhaps the old stories his mother had told him when he was little held some truth to him. "Those flowers are called roses."

"Roses," she repeated, testing the word on her tongue. The next instant she felt Mercury's calming blue waves pinch the back of her mind.

Nephrite watched as her faced turned dark and cold in an instant. The happiness left her eyes; instead they became unfocused, like she was staring at something only she could see. Then she was on her feet, securing her sword at her hip.

"Princess, we must leave," she announced as she strode toward her princess. Even her voice had changed; instead of warm and melodic as it had been, it had turned sharp and severe.

Nephrite scrambled to his feet, stunned at the sudden transformation. The moon princess clutched her Terran prince, whining that she did not wish to leave. Endymion was protesting that they were supposed to have more time as well. Quickly and quietly he moved so that he could be between Jupiter and his prince should the need arise. Unconsciously, his hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

"Come, Princess. Mercury is awaiting your arrival," the Jovian guardian said sternly, her cold eyes cutting through the pair. All at once it dawned on Nephrite, she and the other guardians had some sort of telepathic communication. She must have gotten some news from the Moon.

Serenity stood to her full height, crossing her arms over her chest. "I will not leave."

A loud boom of thunder sounded close by as anger flashed across Jupiter's face. "Queen Serenity has called a council and both you and I are expected to attend, Princess." Her voice was even, but the anger was there, just below the surface. She shifted her gaze from Serenity to Endymion and back. "Of course, if you wish to stay, I could ask Mercury to explain why we are not there."

More thunder. Nephrite looked at his prince, confused. He did not feel the anger that accompanied such a storm. _Is it Jupiter?_ He wondered.

Prince Endymion glared at Jupiter, knowing that nothing they could do would extend Serenity's time this day. He turned toward his beloved, softening his gaze. "My love, I mean to officially ask for your hand. We will not have to hide much longer," he promised softly.

Nephrite's shoulders fell; he looked to Jupiter and saw her expression mirrored his own. _War will come_ , he thought sadly. _This is the beginning of the end. And Jupiter knows it_.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N** : sorry for the delay... life is crazy, but here's chapter 2! Enjoy :)

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Nephrite paced along the long hall outside Kunzite's chambers. As the leader of Endymion's Shittenou, Kunzite had the most intimate relationship with the prince. He went over and over all the concerns he had about the prince's relationship with the moon princess in his head, praying to the gods that Kunzite would listen. The uprising near his home was getting worse, spurred on by how aloof the prince had been toward affairs of state as of late.

The door opened and out stepped Kunzite. He was the tallest of the four, towering over even Nephrite by half a foot. His hair was so blonde it was nearly white, worn loose and long, reaching the small of his back as was the custom in his eastern homeland. His long white cloak matched his rank, fastened to his simple army by two silver clasps.

"Nephrite," he said gruffly, "why are you stalking my door?" He started down the hall, Nephrite close behind.

"I have a troubling report from my soldiers at home in Suzaku. The uprising is gaining followers, more and more every day." He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "Their chief compliant is that Prince Endymion has been absent, and that there are rumors Terra is vying to join the Alliance."

Kunzite continued walking, silent. Nephrite was not wrong.

"Kunzite, today makes the fourth council Endymion has missed in the last six weeks. He has skipped dinners with visiting lords. Whispers that he may be unfit are spreading throughout the nobility."

Kunzite pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew his prince better than most; they had grown up together, he only a few years the prince's elder. What Nephrite was saying was true. Since Endymion had met the silver princess of the moon, he'd been obsessed, forsaking all else for her.

"Worse still," Nephrite continued warily, "I fear if the uprising grows violent, we will not be able to count on support from the local lords for aid in quelling it."

"Thank you, Nephrite," Kunzite said simply without betraying his thoughts. "So you are aware, our King has entered into negotiations with Queen Serenity to solidify a marriage contract and entrance for Terra into the Alliance. A ball is being planned to announce the engagement, with the wedding to follow some weeks later. We will host the ball here; the wedding will take place on the moon."

Nephrite nodded, groaning inwardly. He was too late; things were already in motion. He had his unspoken orders. "I shall work with Princess Serenity's guardians to ensure the proper security measures are taken."

"Venus has indicated Jupiter is the guardian who will handle things from their side."

Nephrite nodded again, his mood brightening in spite of himself. Now he had a real excuse to work with the Jovian guardian. "Yes, sir." He paused a moment.

"Is there something else?"

"I shall keep informed on the happenings at home. If anything happens with the uprising, you will be the first to know."

"Very well. You are dismissed."

* * *

Nephrite made his way to the meadows, nearly giddy at the prospect of seeing Jupiter again. She stood by the brook, bent over a rosebush smelling the delicate flowers. She wore a simple green tunic and brown breeches, with what looked to be well worn leather boots. Unsurprisingly, her long auburn hair was tucked into a neat braid that fell down her back.

"Good day, Rose," he said with a crooked grin.

Jupiter straightened, startled. "Rose?"

Nephrite chuckled, "You refused to tell me your true name the last time we met. I had to find a name for you instead."

Jupiter let out an exasperated sigh. This general was arrogant, to say the least. He was also intriguing. And handsome. His shoulder length wavy chestnut hair hung loose as it had the first time we met, complemented well by the crimson tunic and black breeches and boots he wore. Outwardly, she scowled. "Let's get this over with."

Nephrite moved to the side of the well-worn path that led back toward the castle. "After you, my lady Rose," he said with a charming smile, showing the way with his hand.

Jupiter held back a grin and started down the path. Nephrite joined alongside her.

"I confess I am a bit surprised to see you without your armor."

Jupiter chuckled quietly. "Why is that, General Nephrite? Were you expecting a fight?"

"Truth be told, I should like very much to spar with you one day," he said quietly. "I have heard Jovian warriors are the strongest in the galaxy."

They came upon the Terran caste. It was a great stone behemoth, though not so different from the Silver Millennium and her own Jovian palace. Stone gargoyles dotted the ramparts, giving a fearsome appearance. There were towers on each side which would be good for lookouts as well. From what she saw, their defensive position should be fairly straight forward.

Nephrite led the way to his office, a small room with a large table in the center covered in maps and blueprints. Bookshelves lined the long wall, opposite a small writing desk. Nephrite followed Jupiter in the room, quickly running to close an open door next to the desk. Jupiter cocked a brow in surprise. "Something not to be shared?"

"My bedchamber," Nephrite replied with a slight blush.

Jupiter walked over to the large table. A sprawling map of the castle's great hall was rolled out, held down by various knickknacks. One was a large golden rose. Jupiter smiled in spite of herself. "Are you the chief strategist, then?" she asked, running her fingers over the map, stopping to read his notes, studying the neat handwriting.

"Yes, and as you can see I have already started drawing up plans for guard placements." He stepped behind her, pointing to areas on the map as he spoke. Her scent was intoxicating; he decided she smelled of a spring rainstorm.

Jupiter struggled to focus on the guard postings and rotations; she couldn't help but notice how close he'd gotten. As she watched his hard and calloused hand float across the paper, she couldn't help but wonder how those hands would feel against her skin. She cleared her throat, desperate to find a reason for him to move. He was too close; she needed to regain her focus. "What of your plans for the gardens? The hall opens into one of the larger ones here."

"Just a moment." Nephrite rounded the table, looking through the rolled up maps near the edge.

 _Thank the gods_ , Jupiter thought to herself; letting out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. As she watched Nephrite roll out the new map on the table, she decided he wasn't as arrogant as he'd seemed before. Most of it seemed to be a façade. He did carry himself as a man who could handle a fight, and by the way he was built, she did not doubt that. His strategy was brilliant; she'd come to Terra early thinking she'd have many changes to make to ensure things would be well-secured, but to her surprise it was needless.

"I must confess, I am impressed, General." A hint of a grin appeared on her face. "It appears as though you have things well in hand for tomorrow's festivities."

Nephrite broke into a wide grin, puffing out his strong chest a bit. _He seems quite pleased with himself_ , she thought with a silent chuckle.

"As it seems we have some extra time on our hands before the others arrive," he started, coming back around the table toward her.

Her heart sounded in her ears, entirely unsure of what would come next.

"Shall we have a friendly match? I should like to know which of us has best earned their reputation." The twinkle in his eyes matched the grin on his face.

There it was, the arrogant half smile that made her heart jump, no matter how she tried to deny it. Outwardly, she wore a mask of indifference. "As you wish."

He led her to the castle's training yard. IT was well equipped with blunted and wooden swords, longbows and arrows, targets and dummies for practice.

Nephrite pulled two blunted swords from the rack, handing one to her.

She felt the weight of it, turning it around in her right hand, spinning it around behind her wrist. It was well made, especially for a practice blade. _It appears the rumors of Terran steel are true_ ," she thought to herself.

Nephrite grinned as he readied himself, "A wager perhaps, Rose?"

She laughed in spite of herself. "What terms? My silence when you lose?"

Nephrite gave a chuckle. "Your true name."

"And when I win?" she asked, her blade at the ready.

He mirrored her stance. "I shall never ask again."

Blades clashed and rang out as the two soldiers sparred. Sweat beaded and dripped from their bodies as they fought each other, neither holding back from the other. Their dance lasted more than an hour, each soldier refusing to give in to their own fatigue, let alone admitting the other had bested them.

"Your form is quite good," Nephrite complemented her between blows, sweat forming on his brow and staining his tunic.

Jupiter did not answer, concentrating on her footwork instead. She had not sparred with a partner this well matched since she last visited her home and her master at arms, Evander. She breathed hard as she countered and stabbed, desperately looking for any weakness in Nephrite's technique. She was nearly spent, her muscles burning and straining. She was starting to make mistakes with her footwork, and she knew that Nephrite knew it.

"But your footwork is another matter." His boyish grin reappeared. _There_ , he thought, _finally, a mistake_.

A moment later he made his move, striking from the side, forcing her off balance and sending her falling backwards. She reached out, grabbing hold of his tunic with her free hand to keep from falling hard on her back. The next thing she knew, Nephrite had dropped his blade and somehow pulled her close towards him, bracing their fall with his other arm. He winced as pain shot up his arm and into his shoulder, then lowered her gently to the ground, slowing his breath as he held himself above her, their noses nearly touching. She looked up at him, her shining emerald eyes wide in disbelief. To Nephrite's surprise, there were flecks of gold hidden among the green.

Jupiter's heart was thumping loudly in her ears. She could feel his steady breath on her face, mixing with her own. Seconds seemed to take hours as they stared at each other, each too unsure what to do next. She bit her lip, something Nephrite noticed she did when she was unsure or deep in thought.

 _Those lips_ … The next moment he was kissing her, claiming her lips with his own.

Surprise gave way to desire, and before she could stop herself, Jupiter deepened the kiss, clutching tighter to his tunic and dropping the blade she still held, instead wrapping her arm around Nephrite's broad shoulder.

He pulled away, breath ragged, his brown eyes searching hers. Almost afraid, he pulled her to her feet and straightened his own tunic. "I- forgive me, Jupiter," he said quickly, his face flushed in embarrassment. "I forgot myself and-"

"Juno," she cut him off, retrieving her forgotten blade from the dusty ground.

"I- what?" He blinked, confused.

"Our wager. You won. My name is Juno."

A goofy grin spread across Nephrite's face. She didn't hate him for kissing her. Better still, she'd finally shared her true name. A second later, his usual cocky grin was back. "Next time, I will be sure to wager something more interesting."

Juno matched his grin with her own, flipping her long braid behind her. "Next time, I will not lose."


End file.
